The following post by Manzhi (曼知), a user from Guangzhou, was deleted from Sina Weibo sometime before 11:36AM on January 12, 2016. The post introduces Zhao Wei (赵威), an assistant at a Chinese law firm who was taken away last July in a widespread crackdown on rights lawyers. Zhao has now been charged with “subversion of the state.” [Explore more deleted posts by using the Weiboscope, created by the Journalism & Media Studies Centre.]

In her post, Manzhi essentially posed the question: If a young woman can be construed as a threat to the security of a state, how can that state be deemed stable at all?

A translation of Manzhi’s post follows:

This girl born in 1991, named Zhao Wei, graduated from Jiangxi Normal University with a journalism degree. She took part in public service activities and later became an assistant to civil rights lawyer Li Heping with the goal of eventually becoming a civil rights lawyer herself. She wanted to help families treated unfairly to regain their dignity. However, on July 10 last year she was taken away by “relevant staff” and there has been no news until now. Today she is arrested for “subversion of the state.” So this regime can be so easily subverted. Is it built on shaky foundations?